Never About the Salvatore Brothers
by Shay59317
Summary: Katherine and Elena are traveling together, trying to figure out what to do about their. . . unlucky situation. Katherine really shouldn't have pissed off that witch. Where does this all lead them? New Orleans, of course.
1. Chapter 1

**This little fic came out of nowhere. All the same, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

It took years to figure out the truth, and it was only through Elena's revelation that she was able to move on.

 _It was never about the Salvatore brothers._

They were stuck in the same role decade after decade in a never-ending loop. Her and Katherine both. Katherine, being as selfish as she is, hadn't wanted to let them go, and in a way, she never had. So Elena had been the one to release them, breaking their hearts little by little until the shattered remains crumbled to dust. They'd never fall for another Petrova doppelganger ever again. No, definitely not after that.

In a way, she'd saved them from themselves. They, at last, were free of the Petrova curse.

 _It was never about the Salvatore brothers._

No, no it wasn't. But who was it about then? Elena and Katherine could only draw a blank. Years passed, all they had were each other. Running, running, running . . . but to what cost? From who do they run? Themselves? Katherine's past?

It was Katherine who figured it out for a change. She was in a pub, nursing her whiskey when she spotted a tuff of achingly familiar blonde hair. She couldn't place it, for it had been so long since she'd seen the person's trademark features.

Klaus Mikaelson.

The poor human who reminded Katherine of aforementioned man was nearly drained dry on the spot. Fortunately, Elena arrived back from the restroom to stop her. Katherine instead took him out back and did the deed, ridding him of every sweet drop of life.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Elena scowled from beside her, glancing sadly at the dead man in her doppelganger's arms. Even after years of being a vampire, the death of an innocent still haunted her. That would be her curse to bear for the rest of her eternity, just as it had for Stefan. Pissed off as she was, Elena couldn't trample down her curiosity. Katherine wasn't usually this quick to go in for the kill. Her doppelganger like to play with her meal first and then at least compell them to forget and be on their way after she was finished. Clearly that wouldn't be the case this time.

Katherine lugged the body over her shoulder, ignoring Elena's inquiry for now, focusing on her task. She led Elena to their car, shoving the corpse into the trunk and began to drive them somewhere thick with forest where this man would never be seen again.

It was only during the process of digging the unmarked grave that Katherine spoke, "Klaus." Elena's eyes furrowed, unsure if she heard the older woman correctly.

"Klaus? As in, Klaus Mikaelson?"

"No, I meant Klaus as in Santa Klaus," Katherine's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Yes, I meant Mikaelson."

"Okaaaay," Elena drew out slowly, "what about him?"

"Don't you see Elena?" Katherine coyly replied, "All roads lead back to Klaus Mikaelson." Elena's jaw dropped slightly, eyes widening a tad.

"No," Elena shook her head disbelievingly, "you don't think . . ."

"On the contrary Elena," Katherine smirked wryly, "yes I do." Elena sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Of course she would. I mean, why not?" Elena shoveled the rest of the dirt on top of the body, sorrow filling her with the reminder of another innocent's blood on her hands. Katherine moved to leave, but Elena's sudden grip on her forearm halted her.

"What?"

"Can't you at least say a couple words?" Elena growled. "You did kill him in cold blood." Katherine opened her mouth to say something along the lines of murdering being in a vampire's nature but immediately stopped herself. Katherine seriously didn't want to deal with an infuriated Elena on an hours long road trip.

Katherine cleared her throat, "Here lies the lookalike of Niklaus Mikaelson. May the poor bastard rot in hell." Without another word, she struts away, deciding that an angry Elena maybe wouldn't be so bad. The curly haired brunette managed to dodge the first object thrown at her back, but the next shard of tree bark happened to lodge itself into her shoulder. "Damnit Elena! I liked this shirt." Katherine removed it with a pained groan and tossed it back over her shoulder, kinda hoping it landed in Elena's eye.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

How Elena managed to make it back to the car first without Katherine noticing, she would never know and didn't bother asking.

"Passenger seat," Katherine ordered.

"Don't I know it," Elena muttered, quickly taking her seat. "Where to?" She knew that if anyone would know where a specific person would be, especially Klaus for that matter, it would be Katherine.

"Last I heard," Katherine revved the engine and began speeding down the highway, "New Orleans."

* * *

"Well if it isn't my favorite doppelganger," Klaus smirked down at Elena before his eyes caught Katherine's a little way back, "and my least favorite doppelganger. Both in one day nonetheless. Now what is it that I can provide some assistance?" Katherine's jaw clenched, and Elena looked down awkwardly. Both were unaware of how to explain their situation, especially to the unpredictable Original Hybrid in front of them.

"We've had a bit of a," Elena struggled to be as vague as she was blunt, "problem these last few years and we think we've found our solution. Ironic as it might be." Her last words were mumbled but could be heard all of the same by both Katherine and Klaus.

Klaus continued to eye them both with amusement, much to Katherine's irritation.

"And what is this _problem_ you talk about?" Klaus raised an eyebrow. Again, Elena struggled for words.

"Spit it out already," Katherine snapped, "It's going to sound unbelievably stupid no matter how you phrase it."

"Then go right on ahead," Elena retorted, "you tell him."

"That's _enough_ ," Klaus interrupted strongly, snapping them both to attention. "I don't care who lets loose their tongue, but do so now before I compel it out of one of you." Katherine and Elena shared a quick glance.

"A vengeful witch bound us to each other," Katherine uttered, "and you." Klaus didn't say a word. He didn't even seem to be breathing.

"What do you mean, 'bound you to me'?" Klaus's eyes grew dark as his anger surfaced. Who the hell did this witch think she was? No matter. Whoever she was, he'd find her and have her head displayed on his wall within the week.

"I don't know," Katherine grew exasperated, haven't been told about the whole ordeal entirely herself, "something about melding our souls into one. And believe me, I called bullshit the minute she said the words because there's no way that there's a soul in there," Katherine pointed to his muscled chest emphatically, "but the minute we were more than a hundred miles away from you, we dropped to our knees and pain." Klaus froze, reminiscing the moment he'd felt such excruciating pain. Not that he'd mention aloud, but about a week or so ago, he felt it too. Being a thousand years old, give or take, gave him the ability withstand a hefty amount of pain, thankfully, and he managed to not make a fool of himself in front of Elijah and Rebekah.

Elena nodded her agreement, recalling the horrid feeling akin to liquid vervain flowing through her veins, "Yeah, and at the time, we felt this weird pull in the opposite direction towards you, although it was only recently that we realized that this is where the pull was leading us."

"Oh? And how did you know that it was me they were talking about?" Klaus swiftly ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he'd picked up recently when he was stressed.

"Think about it," Katherine snorted, "it's too poetic for her to _not_ link us to you, is it not? Besides, she may not have said it outright, but there were little clues here and there that gave it away. Granted, it took us a little while to figure it out."

"'Course it did," Klaus's lips quirked upwards. "So, what did you want help with?"

"Remove this link between us," Katherine bluntly replied.

Klaus seemed to think about it for a minute before he promptly responded, "No can do, Katerina." Katherine's eyes narrowed.

"And why not?"

"Because if what you said is true," Klaus sighed, "then what we're dealing with is ancient magic, stuff my mother use to draw upon, and that now-a-days is impossible to find in a dozen witches, let along just one. Not to mention the damage that'll be done when the link is removed. To be honest, I'd rather fair with our little situation. It could prove to be . . . _fun_."

Katherine and Elena couldn't believe their ears. Klaus was willing to keep the link intact? Surely he knew that it could be a major weakness for his part.

"Pick a room ladies," Klaus drawled, "looks like you'll be staying a while."

* * *

 **Questions? Comments?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for the reviews. I'm happy for all of the support I have for this story. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was times like this that Elena really hated being linked to both Klaus and Katherine. At the moment, white hot anger pulsed down the connection from both sides, signaling the warning bells to go off in Elena's mind. _Not again_ , she groaned, dashing out of the comfort of her room and off towards the loud commotion coming from the first floor. _Crash._

Uh oh. There went another chair.

"Damnit," Elena heard Klaus growl to her doppelganger, "that's _it_. I think it's time I rectify the mistake that I made years ago—"

"Klaus," Elena interjected, flashing in front of Katherine at the first opportunity, shooting her doppelganger a warning look before turning back to the furious hybrid. His eyes glowed gold with midnight black surrounding the irises, causing the gold to really pop. The sight alone was terrifying, but knowing that it was Klaus made it worse. His reputation as a merciless and cold blooded killer didn't diminish as the years went on, and from what Elena gathered from the vampires she'd crossed with Katherine as they traveled together, his reputation had only grown. Klaus was the Original Hybrid, the King of New Orleans. Elena hoped that the fact that if he killed either of them, he'd end up dead as well would keep him from attacking her.

"Elena," Klaus cooled down, but only slightly, "glad you could join us." His voice was steely calm, like the calm before the storm type of calm. His eyes still oozed hostility that was directed at the vampire behind Elena.

"Cupcake," Katherine greeted through gritted teeth, glaring severely at Klaus. Heat flooded Elena's cheeks, but she pushed her feelings away, focusing on the situation at hand. She needed to stop them from killing themselves and her along with them.

"I was wondering if I could go to the mall with Katherine to pick up a new wardrobe. Practically living in a car the last few years have had an impact," Elena explained.

"Absolutely not," Klaus denied.

"Why not?" Elena's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. After she voiced it aloud, she realized just how stupid the question was.

"We're linked, love," Klaus reminded her. "If either of you die, so do I."

"If you're so worried about that," Katherine chimed in provocatively, "you shouldn't say that so openly in case of prying ears. Unless, of course, you _want_ a target on our backs." A growl built in the hybrid's chest, noting the warning but still pissed at the elder doppelganger.

"Not another word from you," he retorted, "or else you'll find yourself without a tongue." Katherine stuck her tongue out childishly at him.

"So demanding," she rolled her eyes. Once again, Elena had to jump in before the duo could go off on each other again.

"Please Klaus," Elena pleaded, "it'll just be for a few hours." Klaus' short temper and the temptation of having Katherine out of his house and away from him for hours was all he needed to make up his mind.

" _Fine_ ," Klaus sighed hugely, "but only if you bring a couple of my hybrids with you for protection." Without another word, the hybrid stormed out of the room, the loud slamming of the door to his study echoing throughout the house.

"Would it kill you to not provoke him," Elena sighed tiredly, sitting heavily in an armchair. Katherine shot her a dirty look.

"I provoke him because he's an infuriating asshole," she countered, "and because I like pissing him off. A miserable Klaus makes me happy." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Both of you need to let go of the grudges you hold toward one another," Elena said. "You're linked for heaven's sake! It's going to get us all killed."

Katherine's eyes grew dark, "He murdered my family because I wouldn't die like the good human doppelganger I was supposed to be and had me fleeing for my life for another 500 years. How does one simply 'let go' of that, Cupcake?"

"Your family wasn't the only one that he killed," Elena recalled vehemently. "I'm sure you remember my Aunt Jenna who, conveniently enough, was also told to stab herself with a kitchen knife by _you_. We've all done terrible things that we will be held accountable for, for the rest of our lives. The only thing we can do is try to move passed that." Elena's logic was sound, but Katherine was stubborn. She wasn't going to let go Klaus' misdeeds so easily.

"Whatever," Katherine muttered, ending the discussion. It would no doubt come up again, but the elder doppelganger wasn't likely to listen further.

Minutes later, the curly haired brunette pulled something out of her pocket, brightening visibly as mischievous danced off her in waves. Elena was instantly weary, knowing nothing good could come of whatever the woman was thinking, but Elena still felt the half-smile forming on her face.

"So," Katherine started, "shopping?" The object was revealed to be a shiny black credit card. Elena didn't understand what had Katherine so playful all of a sudden. Her double's emotions were seriously giving her whiplash. Throwing all notions aside, Elena nodded.

* * *

It was hours later as they were walking leisurely out of the mall, dozens of bags in their arms, that Elena finally learned what Katherine had done. The elder doppelganger easily popped the trunk of her car, loading in the boatload of clothes they had bought into it.

"I can't believe we spent that much money," Elena shook her head with disbelief, laughing slightly.

"Believe it," Katherine replied, "and be happy that neither I or yourself have to pay that bill." Elena's eyes furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked. Katherine smirked, waving up the black credit card once more. Only now, taking a closer look at it, did Elena realize it. The small M emblazoned in curvy script on the top left corner of the card should've given it away. "Please don't tell me that that's—"

"Klaus' credit card?" Katherine finished. "Okay, I won't."

"You have a death wish," Elena groaned.

Katherine shrugged and shot her a playful wink, "Perhaps." Elena, following their usual routine, jumped into the passenger seat as Katherine did the same into the driver's. "Do you think he noticed yet?"

"Hopefully," Elena crossed her fingers, "not for a long while."

"That's doubtful," Katherine said cheerfully, drumming her fingers along the steering wheel.

"How reassuring," Elena muttered sarcastically.

"On the upside," the curly haired brunette replied, "Klaus can't kill us without killing himself. I'm starting think that this link is more of a blessing than a curse." Elena raised an eyebrow at her. Was she serious? As if to prove a point, Elena dug her nail into the skin of her palm, creating a shallow wound that slowly oozed blood. It was quick to heal but it served as a reminder to both of them of the perils of their link when Katherine too had a matching wound on her palm. Twenty minutes later of weaving through traffic, the doppelgangers were back to the mansion, their bodyguards that had been following them in a separate van dispersing to go follow through with other duties.

As soon as they entered the house, Klaus was on them, eyes narrowed at his least favorite doppelganger. "Cough it up." Katherine shrugged, pulling the plastic card out of its place in her jeans. After all, the damage had already been done; she didn't have a use for keeping it any longer. Klaus was noticeably calmer and relaxed than before.

"You're in a good mood," Elena commented.

"When things go down how they should, I'm satisfied." Klaus' lips turned upward at the corners, prompting the dimples of his cheeks to make an appearance. Elena could admit he was tremendously more handsome when he smiled. "Just so you know, a special guest is coming over for dinner." Clicking on her phone, Elena glanced at the time: 6:43. That gave her just enough time to change into something nicer. Dinner always started at 7:00 in the mansion. It was a mandatory thing—one of the few of Klaus' rules.

"Who?" Katherine asked.

"You'll see shortly, Katerina," Klaus smirked. He flicked his wrist to a couple of his nearby hybrids, indicating that he wanted them to help the girls with their shopping bags. "Go on, get changed. He should be here shortly." Both of the doppelgangers' curiosities were peaked. Who would be joining them for dinner that night?

Katherine was irritated at his blatant dismissal but made her way to her room to do just that, pointing vaguely in the direction of her closet to direct the following hybrid as to where she wanted her bags. Elena was in the room across from Katherine's slipping inside and thanking Josh for his help with her own bags.

* * *

The time passed agonizingly slowly for Elena as she awaited their guest. But when they finally did, clad in their signature formal attire, she couldn't help the happy surprise that carved into her expression.

"Elijah?" Elena gasped.

"Elena," he eyed her kindly, "it's lovely to see you again."

* * *

 **Tell me what you guys think. Keep those reviews coming, and thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey readers! What's up? The next chapter for NASB is here. Enjoy...**

* * *

"Tell me, brother," Klaus began, "what have you been up to lately?" Elijah took a sip of water, setting the glass down gingerly as he finished.

"Just business here and there," Elijah replied. "How's the activity in the Quarter been since I've been gone?" The wait staff began to bring in the main course.

"Silent," Klaus chuckled, cutting into the steak on his plate. "I think those witches are finally learning to keep their noses out of Mikaelson business."

"It's about time." Elijah agreed before finally turning to Elena and Katherine. He could admit that he hadn't expected to see them here. He figured Katerina at least would steer clear of his brother—they've never really been able to get along after all these years. "So how is it that you two began traveling together," Elijah asked the doppelgangers conversationally, genuinely curious. "From what I remember, you two didn't get along well."

"Oh, there's no need to be so indirect brother," Klaus cut in. "They hated each other, so it's rather odd that you two would suddenly be found traveling together." He shot his brother an amused smirk before turning to the girls. "Go on, answer. I'm quite curious myself."

Katherine and Elena shared a look before Elena's gaze immediately shifted to the table, avoiding everyone's gaze. No one knew about her problem.

Only Katherine did.

Thinking back to that night brought back so much guilt and shame. If Katherine hadn't found her…things would've turned out much worse. Even worse than it already was. She would be forever grateful to Katherine for her help. Elena wouldn't have lasted this long without her.

"Elena here was a little lost when I found her," Katherine spoke slowly. "I offered to help her adjust as a vampire, and we've been traveling ever since." It was an easy explanation, albeit vague, and it wasn't exactly a lie. The threatening gleam in Katherine's dark brown eyes stopped the brothers from asking any further questions, but it was obvious to the elder doppelganger that this wouldn't be the last they would hear of this particular subject, much to her own annoyance. Why couldn't people just let things go?

"Hmm," Klaus hummed, "and what of the witch?" Elijah tilted his head to the side, looking between the three of them.

"Witch?" He asked.

"The doppelgangers came to tell me a witch had them linked to me as well as each other," Klaus explained, taking a sip of his drink. "Until we figure that all out, they'll be staying here."

"How is it you always manage to find your way into trouble while I'm away, Niklaus," Elijah sighed. He turned his focus back onto Elena. "How long ago was this, my dear."

"A couple years," Elena answered shortly. Elijah raised his eyebrows.

"Years?" Elijah frowned. "Surely someone would've made a move by now if this witch had put the link up to harm any of you."

"Unless they've been biding their time," Katherine chimed in, trying to get Elijah to look at her. Throughout the duration of their dinner, he hadn't spared her a glance. It was really starting to annoy the curly haired woman. Katherine wondered what his problem was.

"Biding time for what exactly?" Elena murmured thoughtfully.

"For what indeed," Klaus drawled. "Can I get a name, sweetheart?"

"Agnes," both Katherine and Elena replied simultaneously. The brothers exchanged a look. They knew of an elder witch with the same name that lived in the Quarter. It was a place to start.

"You know of her," Katherine deduces aloud. Elijah nods, finally looking at the curly haired vampire, but something wasn't right with his gaze. Katherine couldn't figure out the abnormality, but set aside her concerns for later.

"She's one of the leaders of the witch community in the Quarter." Klaus said. "I'll be having a word with 0her." It was clear to all those in the room that his intentions were going to be far worse than simply talking to the witch. Knowing Klaus, he'd resort to his most effective alternative: homicide. "On that cheerful note, it's time for dessert." He grinned wickedly as a housekeeper stepped up for every person, offering themselves to be fed on by the vampires. Both doppelgangers tensed, seemingly in unison, and Katherine immediately jumped out of her seat as the smell of blood permeated the air.

"Elena and I aren't thirsty Klaus," Katherine stated. "Besides, I think a little fresh air will do us good since you've been all caveman on from the minute we've stepped foot across the threshold." Without waiting for either Mikaelsons' response, Katherine walked determinedly over to Elena, looped their arms together and exited the back door and into the gardens.

"Follow them," both of them vaguely heard Klaus order. No doubt to one of his hybrids; they were always being guarded tightly. Although with them being linked to Klaus, it was no surprise.

"Thank you," Elena whispered, throwing her double a grateful look. Katherine simply nodded. No verbal response was needed.

The grounds were clean and beautiful. The grass was a healthy shade of green and freshly mowed. Flowers were in the process of blooming around them. Katherine spotted the maze the moment she'd stepped out the door and led Elena to it. She wasn't sure why Klaus had it built, but right now that didn't matter. It was a perfect spot for what Katherine had in mind.

"You need to feed," Katherine spoke after a few minutes of traveling through the mini maze with Elena. The maze was at least ten feet tall and made up a bush that was well groomed in order for it to keep up its structure.

"Now?" Elena asked, surprised.

"Yes," Katherine intoned firmly. "The coast is clear." She gestured around them. The lack of hybrids present was evident. "Come on, cupcake. We don't have all day." Elena was hesitant and didn't make a move closer. Katherine rolled her eyes and curled her fingers around the other girl's arm, tugging Elena forward.

"I could hurt you," Elena shook her head. Katherine's lip quirked upward. As if this baby vamp could put a scratch on her if Katherine didn't allow her to. The few times that they'd done this over the years, Elena would utter the same arguments. It was practically routine, and Katherine found the same amount of amusement in them every single time.

"I'll heal." Katherine guided Elena's head to her neck.

"You haven't fed," Elena tried again.

"I'll go snack on one of the wait staff," Katherine replied. "Better me than you. Now drink. We can't have you losing control again."

Damon's words from years earlier came to mind as Elena's fangs sunk into Katherine's neck. _Blood sharing is . . . personal._ Elena shoved the voice far back into her mind.

* * *

It'd been a couple hours since he and Elijah finished up feeding, and afterwards both parted ways: Elijah to finish some business across town and Klaus to his office to figure out the whole witch business.

The more he thought about it, the surer he was that Agnes couldn't be working alone. He wasn't lying when he told Katherine and Elena that the linking spell put on them took a lot of power. Even an elder witch like Agnes couldn't do it alone.

A powerful coven could do it.

If the witches in the quarter banded together with their coven leaders, they could do it. The idea had merit. The witches wanted to be able to practice magic freely, and with Klaus gone, they could do just that. Although, they couldn't have done a spell like that without Klaus noticing sooner.

But Katherine and Elena were outside of New Orleans when they had the spell done on them, so the witches could possibly have rendezvoused elsewhere to do the spell . . .

Klaus groaned. There were so many possibilities. He had so many enemies. That was one of the downfalls of eternity, he supposed. Plenty of witches wanted him dead; it'd be a miracle to figure out who exactly was conspiring against him.

But he had a lead—Agnes. He would follow through with that tomorrow. Then he would get his answers. For now, he would keep his doppelgangers as close as possible. He'd keep them safe until he figured out a remedy for their link.

Klaus frowned, tuning his ears around the house. Nothing. There was no indication that Elena or Katherine were in the house. Had they even come back from their romp through the gardens? Klaus stood swiftly, flashing out the door to his study. He checked their rooms first since they were the closest and then he went downstairs.

They weren't there.

"Hey," Klaus called to a passing hybrid, "you. Where are my doppelgangers?" The hybrid shrugged. The Original Hybrid growled and stormed to the back door. _What good were minions if they couldn't handle such simple tasks?_

Klaus scanned the premises. The had set almost to the point of darkness, but Klaus could see as easily as he could in the day. It's times like these that he really appreciated the ability. They weren't anywhere in sight.

"Elena. Katerina," Klaus called out. His voice cut into the silence like glass. "Come out, come out wherever you are." He grinned wolfishly. He pondered the possibility of them running from him, but scoffed at the thought. Katerina knew not to cross him again, and he doubted Elena would let it come to that.

He sniffed the air, allowing his werewolf side to take over. This was a game of cat and mouse, and the wolf in him wanted to play. He gave chase.

Their scents coming from the maze were faint—they'd moved on. A fresher trail led him straight into the woods. It would've been far more efficient if he'd transformed into a wolf; the scents would've been easier to decipher, but he didn't feel like ruining his clothes.

Klaus stumbled upon them a half a mile away from the house. He raised an eyebrow at the disheveled duo. Both had their clothes all rumpled and muddy. Elena even had a leaf in her hair.

"There you are," he announced. "What have you both gotten yourselves into now?" Elena froze in place, and Katherine turned to look at him coolly.

"Elena here," Katherine smirked, "thought she could beat me in a race. I proved her wrong, or well, I was about to until she tackled me." Elena blushed lightly. Klaus shook his head, amused.

"You should know better than that, love," he chided. "She's got five centuries on you. Me on the other hand . . ." Klaus trailed off, shooting Katherine a challenging glance.

"I don't know Klaus," Katherine began, "I've managed to keep ahead this long. Why stop now?" With her signature smirk in place, the elder doppelganger was running faster than a bullet.

"Cheater," Klaus sighed, throwing a look to Elena. "No matter. I'll still win." The mischievous twinkle in his eyes had Elena backing away. "Now don't be shy, love." Before she even realized what was happening, Klaus had Elena in his arms and was sprinting to the mansion. Elena's hair swirled freely around them and caused her scent to blow into his face. She smelled good. He noticed that he could smell a little of Katerina on her too. _That's probably because Elena decided to tackle Katerina_ , he deduced.

Less than a minute later, they were back at the mansion. Katherine waited for them on the back steps, staring into the forest impatiently. As they approached, she crossed her arms and smirked at Klaus.

"I beat you," she sing songed.

"And I let you win," Klaus shrugged, setting Elena down.

"Whatever floats your boat," Katherine snorted. He didn't respond, choosing to infuriate her through silence. Unfortunately, she didn't have a reaction for his backing down.

"I'm hungry," Katherine announced. Elena had a knowing look on her face that went unnoticed by Klaus.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry at dinner," Klaus stated.

"I changed my mind." Katherine replied simply and entered the house.

Elena shrugged and followed after her. Klaus filed in after her. Now that he knew that his doppelgangers would be safe for the time being—everyone knew how they seemed to attract trouble like magnets—he could get back to figuring out the problem with the witches.

 _Agnes, what are you up to? And who with?_

* * *

 **Like it? Hate it? Ahhh witches... you never know what they're up to, eh? Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep 'em coming. Tell me what you'd like to see in this fic. I've got a ton of ideas, but what's a little more, right?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I know, it's been a month. Sorry 'bout that! Been busy with exams. Just finished them, thank god. Made this one a bit longer than usual for you. Hope you enjoy!**

 **BTW: All of you who have favorited and followed this story, thanks! Means a lot. And those reviews! I'm glad you're as excited as I am about this story. :-)**

* * *

Elena lay in her room within the mansion, peacefully relaxing on her bed. Her eyes were shut, but the light seeping through the curtains casted a glow over her eyelids. It was morning; breakfast would be ready soon. Elena rolled away from the light, irritated by its intrusion, and collided with another body lying on the bed.

"Rise and shine Cupcake," Katherine chimed from beside her. Elena's eyes opened slowly, already adjusted to the morning light. Katherine gazed down at her, head propped up on her hand, with amusement. It was obvious to Elena that Katherine was in a good mood. That could mean one of two things: 1) she successfully pissed off Klaus, or 2) Klaus was gone. Using her link to Klaus, Elena could sense no animosity or anger coming from his end, which indicated the latter.

"Morning," Elena sighed. "You're in a good mood. Where'd Klaus go?"

"The Quarter to find Agnes, interrogate her, and afterwards, probably dispose of her." Katherine answered. "What're you still doing up here? It's nine."

"Relaxing," Elena smiled slightly, closing her eyes and reveling in the drama-free moment. She flopped away from Katherine and back onto her mattress. Right back into the sun. The morning light was blinding. "Too bright," Elena complained, rolling back beside Katherine, hiding her face in a pillow.

"That's usually a sign for you to get up," Katherine smirked. "Get dressed."

"I don't want to," Elena grumbled into the fabric. "Can't you let me stay in bed all day. I haven't had one of those days since we started our road trip."

"Nope." Katherine denied and raised an eyebrow. "And yeah you have. I distinctly remember we were in Colorado. A big storm had hit."

"Right," Elena recalled, "we were stuck in that cabin for days."

"That was a fun week," Katherine smiled wistfully. Elena caught the tone.

"Do you miss it?" She asked, turning herself so that she faced Katherine.

"Miss what?" Katherine eyed her curiously. "Colorado?"

"No," Elena shook her head, "do you miss being on the road, driving towards unknown destinations."

Many things had happened while they were road tripping. Katherine usually got to choose where they went, and she could've gone anywhere—except near Klaus, but she had resources that kept track of him for her. The lack of not needing to be elsewhere was freeing. The places they'd been, the sights; they were beautiful. She loved seeing the changes in a town she'd seen a century or so earlier, and she had many tales to tell of her previous travels. Elena was a good listener and loved history, so she was happy to listen to Katherine as she rambled on and on about the places they were at—like where the best pubs were, where it was safest to feed, what Katherine had been doing the last time she visited.

Katherine enjoyed sharing her knowledge of the world with Elena; moreover, she liked having someone to share it with. Back then, being alone for so long had been beginning to take its toll on her, so having a companion was a blessing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't all sunshine and roses throughout the trip. Everything has its ups and downs. Of course, the downs were a bit deadlier than what the average human experienced, but they were vampires, _doppelgangers_ too, what else could they expect?

They'd run into some vampires—some hostile, some friendly. They'd made a couple enemies along the way.

Elena had almost gotten herself killed one night in Texas; a vampire hunter had found them, and Katherine took care of him. What they'd found on him was worrying. Apparently, he'd been tracking them for a while. It was the wakeup call that Katherine needed. They were more careful in covering their tracks after that.

"Katherine?" Elena waved a hand in front of her face.

"Yeah," Katherine admitted.

"Me too," Elena responded quietly, agreeing, despite the fact that they'd only stopped traveling about two weeks ago. Katherine placed a hand on her arm.

"One of these days, when we've dealt with the threats against us, we'll continue our road trip." Katherine promised. "I'm thinking Sri Lanka. I never did take you there. Lots of stories to tell."

"Deal," Elena grinned.

"Good," Katherine whipped the pillow out from under Elena's head and smacked her with it lightly, "now get up. With Klaus gone, we have time for training." Elena covered her face with her hands. "Oh, stop pouting. I promise I won't beat you up too badly." Elena peaked through her fingers at Katherine.

"Yeah you will."

Katherine shrugged, not bothering to deny it and stood.

"You need to be prepared for a fight, baby vamp. Especially with this somewhat inconvenient link of ours. Remember that if you die, so do I." Katherine reminded her. "I expect you to be outside in fifteen minutes."

Elena groaned, already picturing the bruises that'll liter her body after their combat session. Katherine always went hard on her. The younger doppelganger understood why Katherine did it, but that didn't make it suck any less.

"I don't hear you moving," Elena heard Katherine call from downstairs. Elena rolled her eyes, finally leaving the warmth and comfort of her bed.

"Fine, fine. I'm up."

* * *

Klaus was in a terrible mood. The witch hunting expedition had failed spectacularly. Apparently, Agnes hadn't been operating in the Quarter for quite a while, according to the various witches he'd interrogated.

Sophie Deveraux had been the most helpful, as she usually was, holding nothing back; Klaus respected her as a good ally. It was all Marcel's doing, of course; Klaus's little investment in the form of his right-hand man has paid off over the years in multiple ways. One being that Marcel bagged him a witch.

Klaus knew that Marcel and Sophie were screwing, and he'd used it to his advantage. Once the girl had fallen, it was easy enough to persuade her to join his side. The perks of joining him were great, and the witch had barely thought twice about it; she was always a thrill seeker, and what was a bigger thrill than spying for the vampires?

Sophie claimed that Agnes disappeared a few months ago—about six or seven months to be exact. The move was abrupt and erratic. It wasn't until that next Elders meeting, though, that the witch community had noticed that she was gone. Agnes had all but vanished by then. Locater spells were absolutely useless; she was completely off the grid.

At his request, Sophie had taken Klaus to Agnes' place.

To his shock, the place's contents had been ransacked. Grimoires lay everywhere—some of the pages looked to be torn out of some of the books. The worst part? The damage looked to have been done recently, much to the hybrid's annoyance. To think that if he'd come earlier, he might've had a clue to where the elder witch had gone.

But all of this brought about another mystery for Klaus.

Who else was digging into this matter? And why?

Were they working with or against him? He'd have to assume against. It's never good to be too optimistic. Always assume the worst, and be prepared for the unexpected. This advice has kept Klaus multiple steps ahead of his foes.

Immediately after a quick search around the premises, Klaus called in his hybrids and ordered them to gather all of the grimoires; they would need to be studied.

"Josh," Klaus called to one of his newer hybrids, "get the car." Joshua Rosza, a young man in his early twenties with short black hair and brown eyes, nodded to Klaus.

When Klaus exited the car, finally back at the mansion, the first thing he became aware of was the sound of a scuffle out back. Assuming the worst, he took the fastest route—around the house—to go see who'd dare to break into his house and harm his doppelgangers. He wasn't sure who he'd be angrier at: the intruder or his hybrids, who were supposed to be guarding his girls.

The sight before him wasn't at all what he was expecting.

His doppelgangers were fighting hand to hand. What would've looked like a blur to other humans was easily discernable to Klaus whose eyes picked up every movement like they were occurring in slow motion. Elena, clearly the younger vampire, was holding her own surprisingly well against Katherine. It was obvious to Klaus that they must've done this often; the two were far too familiar with the other's style of fighting. A couple minutes later, it was Elena who slipped up, misjudging where Katherine's next move would've been and left open a crucial weak spot. Katherine was quick and sharp, sending a swift punch into Elena's stomach, causing the air to rush out of Elena with a _whoosh_. Elena doubled over slightly in pain; Klaus winced too, feeling the effects of their link as well as Katherine.

Katherine had Elena pinned after another second.

Any other time, Klaus would've applauded dramatically to gain their attention and utter a quip at Katherine's expense, but not this time. Klaus was far too wound up with frustration from his loss with the witch, Agnes. He was on the offense, and anyone in his way was going to get burned.

"What the hell was that?" Klaus sharply uttered. "I've seen corpses put up a better fight." Katherine's head snapped up, still keeping Elena's arms pinned as she glared at Klaus.

"Klaus," she greeted, lips curling downward in a scowl. The elder doppelganger could sense the darkness in his mood and knew that whatever happened next wasn't going to end well for any of them. Katherine braced herself for whatever he could throw her way. Klaus appeared directly in front of Katherine, yanking her off of Elena, earning him a low growl; she didn't like being manhandled.

"Get up," he ordered Elena, tone of steel. Katherine's eyes narrowed at the scene unfolding before her, but she didn't make a sound. What was he up to now? Elena too eyed him warily, sensing the hybrid's mood.

The look in his eyes, Elena noted, hinted trouble. She rose off the ground cautiously, eyeing him as she brushed the dirt off her bottom. Once Elena was on her feet, Klaus stepped away from her until they were five feet apart. His stance changed too: his feet were shoulder with apart, his eyes were alert, his muscles disarmingly relaxed. He lifted a hand, motioning Elena towards him with his middle and fore fingers.

"Attack me," he stated simply, eyes gleaming brightly. Adrenaline surged through Elena's veins at the demand. She didn't move, and she shot Katherine a nervous glance. As for Katherine, she looked on with unrestrained intensity, nodding at Elena to go on. "Your opponent won't wait on you," came Klaus's chiding voice. "You'd be dead—"

Elena lunged, not waiting for him to finish, using the element of surprise to her advantage. Klaus, not expecting the maneuver, barely managed to dodge, and Elena was fortunate enough to land a glancing blow to his side, sending him back a couple feet. Her victory was short lived as her attack left her vulnerable. Klaus, faster than her, had her pinned to the ground once again in under five minutes.

"You're weaker and slower than any vampire older than yourself. That makes you vulnerable Elena. It makes you an easy target for those conspiring against me," he said harshly, lips right beside her ear. Elena tried not to notice how it felt to have him pressed so tightly against her back, and she nearly forgot how to breathe with how close he was to her. She was pinned to the Earth so firmly that she could hardly draw in a breath, worsening her predicament. "With the way you seem to attract trouble, you'll get us all killed. Like you did your family." He added. Elena froze at his words. For a moment, there was no movement. Everything was completely and utterly silent around them. It was a stillness that could only be achieved by solitude and was rarely found in groups. A couple beats later, with a strength she didn't think she possessed, Elena flung him off of herself.

In a blur, she was gone, and Klaus could smell the saltiness of tears left behind.

"You fucking prick!" Katherine spat without missing a beat, storming up to him. "I get that you're pissed off, but that doesn't mean you get to take it out on Elena."

Klaus clenched his jaw, forcing back the guilt. He knew he'd gone too far, but he refused to apologize. He was far too prideful for that. "Oh, come off it Katerina—" He heard the sickening crunch of his jaw breaking as Katherine's fist made contact. White hot anger pulsed through his veins. He advanced on her with narrowed eyes burning with fury. "Hit me again, Katerina, and you'll spend the rest of your days running once more. As for Elena. I told her _exactly_ what she needed to hear. She needs to know that if she doesn't try harder, we'll be the ones paying for it." Katherine ignored him, kicking him in the groin. A groan left his throat, and he fell to his knees in agony.

"And if you try anything like that again, I'll become your worst nightmare. The devil doesn't have anything on me." Katherine left Klaus in the yard in favor of her room, knowing Elena would need to blow off some steam, alone for now.

Klaus didn't follow.

* * *

It was many hours later. Katherine sat with Klaus in the library, and they were both studiously ignoring each other. Katherine had a book in hand. Every page was illuminated by the sunset streaming through the windows, bright colors dancing across the sky in a beautiful array. Katherine flipped the page idly every couple minutes, not really reading at all. In truth, she was worried about her little doppelganger. Katherine hadn't heard from her in hours—a rarity. It didn't help that she'd been upset when she'd left, only causing Katherine's nerves to grow. What if Elena did something to get herself into trouble? What if she was hurt? Did a bunch of witches find and abduct her? Or worse, did Elena lose—

 _Stop_ , Katherine groaned inwardly. She really needed to stop her worrying.

Worrying was more Elena's thing.

Elena would get back to her. She always did.

Sure enough, a couple minutes later, Katherine's phone vibrated in her pocket. Her lips quirked upwards in a smile. See? Elena was fine.

Katherine answered, "Cupcake—" She was cut off.

"Katherine," she heard Elena gasp into the phone frantically. Klaus's ears perked up at the sound of Elena's voice. If Katherine didn't know any better, she would've thought she saw concern flash across his face. But she refocused back on her priority, Elena.

"Elena?" Katherine voiced, getting to her feet swiftly. She had a bad feeling. "What's wrong?"

She heard more sounds enter the receiver. Was that a growl?

Elena was panting heavily. She was clearly running, but from what?

"Katherine, please." she articulated. "Help me."

* * *

 **Ah a cliffhanger. I feel really devious right now. On that high note, I'll see you guys next time. Send me a review with what you think is chasing Elena. I'd love to hear your theories. ;-)**


End file.
